Drier



Sept. 6, 1938. A. s. J. HOPKINS DRIER Filed Dec. 1'7, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor and g Auom s Sept. 6, 1938. 5 Ns 2,129,214

DRIER Filed Dec. 17, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor .4. 6: (Zia M222 P 1938. A. 5. J. HOPKINS 2,129,214

DRIER Filed Dec. 1' 7, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jada 0111225 pwmm fl V A tlomeys Patented Sept. 6, 1938 KUNITED STATES m OFFEQE DRIER Albert s. ,J. Hopkins, Amherstdale, w. Va. Application December 17, 1935, Serial No; 54,921

3 Claims.

My invention relates generally to driers; and

particularly to a de-watering device for removing extraneous moisture and fine particles of coal from washed coal of different sizes, and an important object of the invention is to provide an economical and efiicient arrangement of this character, for application to shaker screens.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a device of the character indicated wherein during the progress of the drying, the moisture on the coal is partly removed through the subjection of different facets of the coal to high pressure air jets or nozzles, and wherein the water which is driven off and the fine particles of coal are delivered to a recovery system or permitted to go to waste as desired.

Other important objects of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description in connection with the drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a general horizontal sectional view through a portion of the embodiment showing the heated blower pipe and the travel of the heated air under pressure to the nozzles under which the coal lies.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken through another portion of the apparatus showing the shaking screen and thereunder the water and fine coal stationary hopper leading to the water and line coal recovery and showing the dried coal conveyor.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the water and fine coal receiving hopper.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 generally designates the wire screen to which the wet coal is fed by some suitable means and which is declined as indicated so that gravity may aid the travel of the coal along the screen 5 to the trough 6 of the dry coal conveyor (not shown). hold the coal in place on the screen and above the sides and overlying and across the screen are the air headers 9 which have depending longitudinally elongated nozzles In which open at a point close to the coal and have adjustable openings to enable adjusting the blast against the coal. The headers 9 have one end connected to the header pipe II which is connected to a suitable supply of air under pressure properly heated or unheated. The effect of the play of the nozzles on the coal on thescreen 5 is to blow 01f The screen 5 has sides I and 8 which the extraneous moisture on the coal and to pass through the screen and into the water and fine coal hopper I2 the removed water and the fine coal. A certain proportion of the surface moisture on the coal is removed mostly by physical force breaking down the film of water and this water is driventhroug-h the woven wire screen 5. As the coal passes along the screen it comes into contact with additional nozzles and the coal presents new faces or facets for contact by the air, successively, so that by the time the coal has reached the dried-coal conveyor, the same is actually dry. Of course, some of the moisture will in the procedure be absorbed by evaporation.

The removed water and fine particles of coal are caught in the stationary hopper 12 from which they may be sluiced to a sludge recovery system or permitted to go to waste, according to desire.

It is to be observed that the hopper I2 is of generally rectangular form provided with an inverted pyramidical lower part which has on its upper edges sides l3 and M which are tapering and have their narrow ends adjacent the dry coal conveyor 6, the sides and ends having their upper edges close to the screen 5. The apex of the pyramidical walls of the stationary hopper open into the conduit l5 which leads to the sludge recovery system or the waste.

Of course, the mesh of the screen 5 will be suitable to withhold the size of coal desired and permit smaller particles of coal to fall therethrough into the hopper l2.

A suitable blower (not shown) will be connected to the blower pipe II to blow suitably heated or unheated air into the blower pipe and into the headers 9, and through the nozzles [0 onto the coal on the screen 5.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, and any change or changes may be made in the materials, and in the structure and arrangement of the parts, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:--

1. In combination a coal shaker including an inclined screen on which the wet coal is received and moves, said screen including side walls, a hopper beneath said screen for receiving moisture and particles falling from the coal on the screen, a blower manifold running alongside of said screen, a plurality of transverse headers extending from said manifold and above and across said screen, each header being formed longitudinally on its underside with a relatively narrow nozzle for directing air under pressure downwardly through the coal on said screen for physically stripping the coal of moisture and loose particles and depositing the moisture and particles in said hopper as the coal moves from the upper toward the lower end of the screen, said nozzle depending below the upper edge of the side walls and extending substantially the full width of the screen.

2. In combination a coal shaker including a screen on which the wet coal is received, said screen including side walls, a hopper beneath said screen for receiving moisture and particles falling from the coal on the screen, a blower manifold running along a side of said screen, a plurality of transverse headers extending laterally from said manifold and above and across said screen, each header being formed longitudinally on its underside with an elongated nozzle for directing air under pressure downwardly through the coal on said screen for physically stripping the coal of moisture and loose particles and depositing the moisture and particles in said hopper, each of said jets comprising a skirt depending from the edges of correspondingly shaped openings in the bottom wall of the headers, the longitudinal Walls of said skirt being substantially parallel.

3. In combination a coal shaker including an inclined screen on which the wet coal is received and moves, said screen including side Walls, a hopper beneath said screen for receiving moisture and particles falling from the coal on the screen, a blower manifold running along a side of said screen, individual transverse headers extending laterally from said manifold and above and across said screen, each header being formed longitudinally on its underside with a longitudinally elongated nozzle extending substantially the full width of the screen for directing air under pressure downwardly through the coal on said screen for physically stripping the coal of moisture and loose particles as the coal moves along the screen from the elevated to the depressed end thereof and depositing the moisture and particles in said hopper, each of said jets comprising a continuous wall depending substantially perpendicular from the edges of a longitudinal opening formed in the bottom wall of the header, and to a point below the upper edges of the side walls of the screen.

ALBERT S. J. HOPKINS. 

